The Grip Weeds - Early Clues

It's no overstatement to call The Grip Weeds legends in the indie pop universe. They've been releasing music for more than three-and-a-half decades, and they are responsible for some of the finest psychedelic pop rock 'n' roll recordings of modern times. They've successfully brought the classic sounds of the '60s and '70s into the 21st century, and they've been a cornerstone of the JEM Records roster since it was relaunched as a proper record label a decade ago. This is one of those bands that is just pure excellence defined: any Grip Weeds recording is like a master class in guitar pop music. If you love melody, harmonies, and superbly crafted & produced pop songs and aren't familiar with The Grip Weeds, you've got decades of great music to catch up on! Early Clues, the band's new EP, is basically a teaser for its forthcoming long player Soul Bender. I love the idea of giving fans a taste of what to expect from the full album. As the title suggests, the band is dropping hints here. What blows me away is that any of these three songs could be the best song on a great album. And you know they didn't just cherry-pick the best three tracks from the album because then no one would need to buy the album. So if this is just the taster of what's to come, all I can say is wow! 

"Conquer And Divide" is a garage rocker with some real pep in its step. Here the band works under many of the same influences that fueled its garage/psych covers album DiG. It rocks like there's no tomorrow, and it ought to have you jumping up and down in no time flat. That guitar solo is a stone cold ripper! "Column of Air," the band's ode to the joy of creativity, basks in gorgeous melodies and warm '70s vibes. If you're seeking majestic production and dazzling guitar work from The Grip Weeds, well, this song delivers! To close it out, the love song "Flowers For Cynthia" hits that later '60s sweet spot where baroque and psychedelic pop converge. The song, co-written by David Wojciechowski of the Insomniacs, balances its despairing lyrics with a gorgeous melody and heavenly harmonies. I can't help but sense a wink and a nod to The Zombies' "A Rose for Emily." No complaints there! 

I was surprised to discover that Early Clues represents the first new original songs from The Grip Weeds since 2019. If you've been waiting with great anticipation for these tracks, I can assure you that you will not be disappointed. And you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to conclude that Soul Bender is going to be a varied affair and one of the year's best albums!

-L.R.

https://open.spotify.com/album/0eh3WMFt4Ed86R3UiDTRTy
https://music.apple.com/us/album/early-clues-single/1792288735
https://www.gripweeds.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/GripWeeds
https://www.facebook.com/gripweeds
https://jemrecordings.com/

Junior Varsity - Where The Groove Is

Junior Varsity, the newest band from punk/rock 'n' roll legend Mighty Joe Vincent, has debuted with one of the year's best EPs. If someone with impeccable taste like Palmyra Delran is championing this band, you know it has to be great. And how could it not be? Vincent (The Devil Dogs, Swingin' Neckbreakers, Prissteens) gets to show off his songwriting and producing chops with Junior Varsity, and he has assembled an all-star cast of veteran rock 'n' roll musicians from the New York/New Jersey area. Let's be honest: this is no JV team. All these guys have earned their varsity letters many times over. Paul Bertolino (The Sleaves, Atomic Jones) is on lead vocals. Mike Fornatale (Dot Wiggin Band, The Left Banke, Mark Lindsay, Moby Grape, etc.) and Mike Dudolevitch (The Nuclears) are on guitar. Alec Morton (Raging Slab, Monster Magnet) is on bass. Dave Lieb (Rebecca Carter Burke & Blame The Whiskey, The Vinyl Skyway) is on keyboards. Now that's a hot band! 

Where The Groove Is, out now on Rum Bar Records, may surprise people who only know of Vincent from his work in garage and punk bands. With Junior Varsity, he has crafted a more sophisticated brand of rock 'n' roll with a well-refined pop sensibility. I love the big sound here —  replete with backup singers, keyboards, guitar solos, and arena-sized lead vocals. I always have a sweet spot for classic rock with great hooks, and these songs totally hit the mark. I love that you can hear many different influences at play: glam and power pop in the title track, a little Rolling Stones in "Back to Reno," some swinging garage rock in "Everything," and classic '60s pop with hints of E Street swagger in "Show Me What You're Made Of." This, my friends, is songwriting and musicianship of the highest quality. All of these four songs could be considered "the hit," and they only get better with repeated spins. Mighty Joe Vincent has brought his musical vision to life, and he couldn't have picked a better group of players to make it happen. If you like your rock 'n' roll with hooky choruses, catchy melodies, and a groove to die for, Junior Varsity is definitely the band for you.

-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/where-the-groove-is
https://open.spotify.com/album/3A094CX6ZPckoLwkD51GLb
https://www.facebook.com/juniorvarsityallstars/
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords
https://www.instagram.com/rumbarrecords/

The Ergs! - dorkrockcorkrod (20th Anniversary Remix)

Wow! The Ergs!' dorkrockcorkrod, one of the greatest pop-punk albums ever made, is now twenty years old! To celebrate this anniversary, the Ergs! just released a double LP re-issue package on Don Giovanni Records. This 20th anniversary edition of dorkrockcorkrod, which included the original album remastered by Justin Perkins, a remix by Steve Albini overseen by Mike Yannich, and an Ergs! oral history compiled by Mike Faloon, quickly sold out. If you snoozed, you lost. However, the Albini remix is available from all the major digital platforms and is well worth checking out if you love The Ergs! or pop-punk in general. 

 

To get myself in the correct head space for this review, I vowed not to listen to any teaser tracks or even listen to The Ergs! at all over the last few months. I wanted to hear dorkrockcorkrod with somewhat fresh ears. I wanted to discover if 53-year-old me would love this album the way 33-year-old-me did. I wanted to make sure I still thought this was a great record and not something best left in the early 2000s dustbin of history along side flip phones, reality tv, Mozilla Firefox, and Pepsi Blue. I wanted to make sure I still found The Ergs! to be worthy of a spot on my New Jersey musical Mount Rushmore next to Springsteen, The Shirelles, and Dramarama. I suppose the first sentence of this review spoils the suspense. Having gotten reacquainted with dorkrockcorkrod, I'm pretty blown away by how well it holds up. I can totally understand why this was one of my favorite bands of the 2000s — perhaps even my most favorite band of the 20000s. It would have been hard for me twenty years ago to separate my notion of what The Ergs! were based on meeting them and seeing them play from my notion of what they were based purely on their music. I've wondered: Did me relating to these guys as kindred spirit music nerds cause me to overvalue their actual records? Thankfully, I can answer that in the negative. Everything that made me love this band is right there for the listening on dokrockcorkrod: the encyclopedic knowledge of popular music, the infusion of '80s hardcore and indie rock influences into the pop-punk style, the devastating & fully authentic "brokenhearted love songs," the catchiest melodies you could ever hope to hear, the unpretentious yet undeniable musical chops, and that perfect mixture of dorky humor and lovelorn vulnerability. You just won't hear a better pop-punk album ever. At the time of this album's release, The Ergs! had already released two demos, a 7", and a CD EP. They were far from novices. But this was the album where everything finally came together —where all that talent and all those silly ideas blossomed into something truly great. 

Anyone who loved dorkrockcorkrod the first time around will get a kick out of hearing these recordings as mixed by the great Steve Albini. The remix sounds absolutely amazing. And if you weren't around when this album first came out or for whatever reason just never got into The Ergs!, here's your chance to discover one of the truly definitive albums of modern-day pop-punk — and likely THE definitive album of the "dork rock" genre. The Ergs! have been prolific enough to justify not one but two compilations of their non-album material, so my list of their best songs would be a lengthy one. But a whole bunch of songs off of dorkrockcorkrod would make that list. In particular, "Pray for Rain," "Most Violent Rap Group," "Saturday Night Crap-O-Rama," "Vampire Party," "A Very Pretty Song For A Very Special Young Lady, Part 2," and "Everything Falls Apart (And More)" are locks for any Ergs! best-of playlist. Unless I concede that I've had zero emotional and intellectual progression in the past 20 years, I have to conclude that dorkrockcorkrod has withstood the test of time in a major way. Of course I've been known to get carried away in touting a band, and surely I'd find my own hyperbole cringe-worthy if I re-read my original review. But you know what? I wasn't wrong! I'll be sure to re-evaluate this album again in ten years when it's reissued on brain-implantable computer chip. 

-L.R.

https://theergs.bandcamp.com/album/dorkrorkcorkrod-steve-albini-remix
https://open.spotify.com/album/64tpAkZq3Lmc3PAHAMdxAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY6tN6dBedM&list=OLAK5uy_kDqsqot9NMsjQqHY5ywk5RnJ3YAJlj5Zg
https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Ergs-100063796026629/

The Cynz - Little Miss Lost

The Cynz, a New Jersey/New York–based rock 'n' roll band, release their fifth album today — and their first with the illustrious JEM Records. The Cynz are probably best known for their electrifying live performances which revolve around the chemistry and charisma of lead singer Cyndi Dawson and guitarist Henry Seiz. It may have been a slight surprise when this '70s punk–influenced, full-throttle rock band signed to JEM. But anyone who hears Little Miss Lost is sure to conclude that The Cynz fit in perfectly on the JEM roster. This is the kind of record that is timeless to me — a big, hooky rock album packed with songs that would be radio hits if they still played real rock 'n' roll on the radio. It has a distinct '80s feel yet still sounds modern, and it highlights the tremendous songwriting talents of Dawson and Seiz. 

While not fully a concept album, Little Miss Lost is semi-autobiographical. It finds Dawson revisiting a difficult time in her life — when she struck out on her own at 17 and had to make her way in New York City. In addition to crafting rocking and immensely catchy tunes, Dawson and Seiz really poured their hearts and souls into these songs. What results is an album that delights from start to finish. At a time when so many bands attach themselves to narrowly defined musical styles, it's a breath of fresh air to hear a band that just wants to make a great rock album. "Crow-Haired Boys," Dawson's reminiscence of frequenting New York clubs as a teen, is so anthemic that it sounds like it could be the grand opening number in a rock musical. The title track is pure hard rock without irony. "When We Were In Love" is the definition of pop bliss — featuring a chorus that straight-up gives me chills. "Just a Boy" and "Narrow Hips" demonstrate that The Cynz can do power pop as well as anyone on the JEM roster. "The Only One" is classic '60s pop with raga rock touches. "Fall Away," the album's emphatic closer, is a punky, kick-ass rocker. Covers of Holly & The Italians' "Tell That Girl To Shut Up" and The Smithereens' "Room Without a View" do justice to the originals but infuse plenty of that distinct Cynz style. 

The press release for Little Miss Lost talks about how these songs "might" be Dawson and Seiz's strongest material to date. Well that's the understatement of the year! I can't imagine any fan of the label not enjoying this album. It brings to mind the "cooler" side of '80s AOR without sounding dated. And while The Cynz are certainly inspired by many greats of the past, their music is more the product of their two songwriters' unique talents and personalities than it is of any specific influences. Little Miss Lost is an absolutely fantastic album and one of JEM's very best releases in recent years.

-L.R.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1KRbTp8eBcOT0t36WqHsgD
https://music.apple.com/us/album/little-miss-lost/1725034912
https://www.facebook.com/TheCynz/
https://jemrecordings.com/
https://www.facebook.com/p/Jem-Records-100063542772461/

Juniper - "I Was Thinking About You"

Juniper has been one of the most exciting new talents to emerge in the indie pop world this decade. This first-year college student already has two delightful albums under her belt — the most recent of which is destined to land in my year-end top ten list. Now she's back with a new single that is perhaps the best representation yet of her musical appeal. While quite reminiscent of '70s AM radio pop on the production end, "I Was Thinking About You" sounds remarkably contemporary. In all honesty, this song could be on commercial radio right now. Its creation was inspired by Juniper playing some Harry Styles songs for her father Michael Shelley — and Michael then trying his hand at writing something in a similar vein but from his musical point of view. What results is one of 2023's most memorable and irresistible singles. 

More than just a breakup song, "I Was Thinking About You" describes what it's like to have an ex living in your head rent-free and the toll that can take on your day-to-day life. Of course the hook is pure gold, but literally everything about this song hits the spot. Juniper's laidback vocal is absolutely perfect for the song, and her tone will just about give you chills. Steve Goulding (Mekons, The Rumour, Nick Lowe) on drums, Guillermina Pagano on saxophone, Dave Amels on harmonium, and Isaac Holmes on lead guitar all elevate the song with fantastic musical performances. The lyrics, which mix humor with heartbreak, will surely connect with individuals who've lived a story similar to the one the song tells. There's no denying it: "I Was Thinking About You" is a stone cold hit! On the virtual flipside, "Ride Between The Cars" is an alternate version of a song from Juniper's latest album She Steals Candy. This version with acoustic guitar and a slower rhythm was initially scrapped after one take, but it has been resurrected for this single with some added keyboards. The original was one of my favorite songs from She Steals Candy, but I must admit I like this version even better. Clearly the Shelleys knew they had something in this alternate take, and they were wise to bring it back to life. There's something in the instrumentation here that really suits the tenderness and melancholy of the lyrics and vocals. While "I Was Thinking About You" is a digital-only release, it's designed like a classic pop 45. If you're a Juniper fan, I don't think there's any question that you will love this single.

-L.R.

https://juniperssongs.bandcamp.com/album/i-was-thinking-about-you
https://open.spotify.com/album/1gMY68o097ZlCFlqTrhafq

Juniper - She Steals Candy

One of the real bright spots in the dumpster fire of a year that was 2020 was the wonderful debut album from teenage singer Juniper. In collaboration with her dad (the veteran singer/songwriter and esteemed WFMU radio host Michael Shelley) and a star-studded cast of musicians, Juniper gifted the world with one of the most joyful guitar pop albums of recent memory. I named Juniper a top ten album for 2020, and in retrospect I wonder if I should have rated it even higher. I suppose the only downside of such an auspicious debut is that it creates very high expectations for the encore. How do you follow up a perfect pop album? Well, if you're Juniper and Michael Shelley, you just go out and make another one! 

She Steals Candy is no mere copy of its predecessor, but it repeats all the core ingredients of a winning recipe. Again, Michael Shelley produces and enlists the contributions of all sorts of talented friends. Notable guest players on this album include Greg Townson (Los Straitjackets), Chris Geddes (Belle and Sebastian), Steve Goulding (Mekons), John Perrin (NRBQ), Alex Hall (J.D McPherson), Dennis Diken (The Smithereens), April March, Megan Reilly, Rebecca Turner, Karen Basset (The Pandoras), Barbara Endes (Girls On Grass), Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo), Page Burkum (The Cactus Blossoms), Kurt Baker, and Jon Grabo (Ryan Adams). The album mixes in a handful of original songs with an extraordinary selection of covers. While contemporary in every respect, She Steals Candy recalls the golden age of pop music — when there was no shame in working with stellar session musicians or interpreting someone else's songs. A lot of incredibly talented people had a hand in the creation of this record, and what results is something truly special. 

While still a teen, Juniper is a young adult now. Her vocal tone now carries more richness and gravity while still retaining the likeable, down to earth quality that made her an instant sensation. She gives The Sails' Brit-pop smash "BANG!" an added touch of melancholy — taking a great song and fully making it her own. Her interpretation of Amy Rigby's "Baby Doll" just about gives me chills. Without over-singing, she brings the hurt, sadness, and ultimate strength of the song's lyrics to life in a way that will be relatable to any young woman her age. She applies a similar magic touch to The Bangles' "James" and The Go-Go's' "Turn To You" — a couple of songs that were ripe for a reinterpretation after nearly four decades. Elsewhere, the Shelleys dig really deep, unearthing such forgotten gems as David "Del Ashley" Gates' 1965 single "Little Miss Stuck Up" and Johnny Fortune's 1964 track "Don Stole My Girl" (re-worked here as "Dawn Stole My Guy") along with four songs originally recorded by The Ron-Dels — Delbert McClinton's marvelous mid-'60s rootsy rock and roll band. Also delightful are a Latin-flavored arrangement of the Lisa Marr/Kim Shattuck number "Taste the Soup" and a bossa nova version of the Gene Simmons song "See You Tonight" (yeah, really!). Album closer "I've Gotta Boy" is a cover of First Base's modern punk-pop gem "I've Got a Girl." Guitarist Tallulah Buscher plays on the track — using the same guitar, amp, and pedal that her mom Melanie Vammen used on the first Muffs album! The songs written for the album fit in splendidly. The title track, which is full of warm '70s vibes, celebrates a kinship with one's far-cooler alter ego. "Alone with You," co-written by the famed writer Dawn Eden Goldstein & Peter Horvath from The Anderson Council, is a perfect power pop song. "Ride Between the Cars" hits quickly with a melody that I can't get out of my head. 

We didn't have to wait very long for the first great album of 2023. If melody-driven guitar pop is your thing, She Steals Candy is the album for you. And if you liked the first Juniper album, you are certain to like this one even more. From the vocals to the musicianship to the production to the arrangements, everything about this album hits the spot. At a time when we're conditioned to think of cover songs as filler, it's a joy to come across a record like this that celebrates great songs. Juniper and Michael Shelley chose to record all these songs because they love them, and they'd be the first people to encourage you to seek out the original versions. I also like that if you didn't already know that most of these songs were covers, you'd probably mistake them for originals. All these tracks fit together perfectly. Even as it finds Juniper stretching herself genre-wise, She Steals Candy at its core is an indie power pop fan's delight. Singing along is both unavoidable and good for the soul. The album is out today on Confidential Recordings and Fabcom Records!

-L.R.

https://juniperssongs.bandcamp.com/album/she-steals-candy
https://open.spotify.com/album/5g2PBgJDJoWD8ZwXLO1m9x
https://linktr.ee/junipersongs
http://www.michaelshelley.net/juniper/
https://michaelshelley.bandcamp.com/

Sal Cannestra's Department of Amusement with Pete Donnelly and Mike Yannich

Three Mid-Atlantic indie/punk lifers walk into a recording studio. No, this is not a setup for a joke. It's the basis for Sal Cannestra's Department of Amusement, a splendid new project/album showcasing one of the most underrated songwriters of recent times and a dream team rhythm section. On vocals and guitar is Sal Cannestra (Sleeper/Serpico, The Gerunds, The Thirteeen). On bass and keyboards is Pete Donnelly of the legendary Figgs. On drums is Mike Yannich of The Ergs! and (literally) countless other bands. With this lineup, you're talking about 90+ years of combined experience in the underground music scene with connections to New York, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. This album may be the most "East Coast" thing ever, and I am here for it! In my mind, I picture these songs playing in every sandwich shop from Delaware County to New Haven. 

Like The Thirteen's excellent album LIFT-OFF and the outstanding 2020 solo effort Plenty of Music, Department of Amusement finds Cannestra excelling at his usual stock in trade: rocking melodic tunes with thoughtful and exceptionally clever lyrics. But with the formidable backing of Donnelly and Yannich (who are such powerhouse songwriters themselves that their instrumental prowess is often overlooked), he stretches himself considerably on this somewhat epic long player. The album weighs in at 16 tracks and over an hour of music. Cannestra humorously concedes that this quantity of music is "a LOT to deal with." But as a music lover, I could never understand why anyone would complain about getting more value for their money. It's not like Cannestra is inundating us with filler. I would consider the likes of "Drug Store Readers", "The Easiest Thing," and "Love is Never Lost and Nothing Ever Dies" some of his strongest songs to date. The power ballad "Call It Sleep" will totally break your heart, while "Give the Drummer Some ($$)" is the best Replacements song that anyone has written in a while. When these three veer off from the indie power pop thing, they are more than up to the task. Forays into funky pop ("Blue Heron Drive") and full-blown yacht rock ("Hired Hand") are pleasant surprises. A cover of "Some of Shelly's Blues" is a wonderful tribute to Mike Nesmith, recorded just days after his passing. Album closer "Nothing Is Free" is an old school SST Records style noisy rocker that carries on for over nine minutes — miraculously never wearing out its welcome.  

If your commitment issues are making you hesitant to pull the trigger on Sal Cannestra's Department of Amusement, I recommend checking out the music videos for the album's first two singles (I'll even embed them below for your convenience). The clip for "Drug Store Readers" is a lyric video. And I'll just say that lyrics as good as these merit a close inspection! If the song title of "Give the Drummer Some ($$)" doesn't already make the point of the song abundantly clear, the video will erase any doubts. "You're only as good as the one on the throne" are some of the truest words ever sung. If you like what you hear from the singles, I can assure you that the full album is worth both hours of your time and eight dollars of your hard-earned cash. If you had told me some time ago that Sal Cannestra was going to make an album with Pete Donnelly and Mikey Erg, I would have said that was going to be something spectacular. I wouldn't have been wrong! 

-L.R.

https://salcannestra.bandcamp.com/album/sal-cannestras-department-of-amusement

Bob Burger - The Domino Effect

You may know Bob Burger as a founding member of power pop band The Weeklings -- who have been one of JEM Records' flagship bands since the legendary label made its triumphant return several years ago. You may also know Bob Burger as a longtime fixture of the Jersey Shore rock scene and an accomplished solo artist. Out now on JEM, The Domino Effect is Burger's fifth solo album and largely a departure from the music of The Weeklings. Yet I doubt any fan of The Weeklings will be disappointed. Much like his label mate Nick Piunti, Burger belongs to the master class of pop-rock songwriters. With The Domino Effect, he focuses on a style of music that I'm always happy to encounter: straight-forward classic rock steeped in the tradition of the three-to-four minute pop song. 

As a member of a very prolific band, Burger had to put his solo career aside for a while. But as more free time became available during the pandemic, he was able to complete The Domino Effect. The album, which features support from New York/New Jersey scene veterans Jimmy Leahey (guitar), Jerry Gaskill (drums), Lisa Sherman (background vocals), Arne Wendt (keyboards), John Merjave (guitars), and Plink Giglio (keyboards), is loosely based on the concept of how our lives can be changed forever by one event or decision. The concept is nicely framed by the opening and closing tracks. "The Suicide King," which marries a waltz to jangly pop, is an ode to acting in life without fear of consequence. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is left ambiguous, which is half the fun of the song. Closing track "Rock & Roll Band," one of the album's most "power pop" sounding numbers, is far more conclusive. Here Burger celebrates his choice to pursue a musician's life. The lifetime of hard work and struggle is worth it for all the good it brings. So many of you reading this now will relate, no doubt. How different would your life be if you'd never picked up a guitar? In between these two songs is a wonderful and varied selection of splendidly-crafted pop songs. "Impression" sounds like it should be playing on the radio in an eternal 1982. "Even If You Don't" hits that Eagles/Jackson Browne 1970s light rock sweet spot. Burger throws a bone to his power pop loving fan base with the clever and relatable "Pain in the Ass." "The One Eyed Jack" unintentionally recalls an iconic Tom Petty riff but is otherwise 100% original. Call it MOR, adult alternative, soft rock, or whatever you like: "Merely Beautiful" is a melodic gem seeking the substance beyond a surface attraction.

Bob Burger is the very definition of class. He's a masterful songwriter who remains in fine form decades into his career. In The Domino Effect, he has managed to create a pop-rock record that sounds timeless but not retro. Certain influences (Beatles, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello) are fundamental to his craft, yet this album just sounds like Bob Burger. We've come to expect albums of this style and quality from JEM Records, and The Domino Effect definitely fits the bill. By the way, JEM has something very special in the works to commemorate its 50th anniversary. I'll be back in a couple weeks to tell you more!

-L.R.

https://bobburger.com/
https://jemrecordings.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bobburgermusic/
https://www.facebook.com/Jem-Records-607560186079388
https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-domino-effect/1619173229
https://www.instagram.com/bobburgermusic/

The Ergs! - Renovations

As I conclude my trilogy of 2022 Ergs! reviews, this is a fine time to reflect on what a special band The Ergs! truly are. The band's breakup proved to be a blessing in disguise; without it, the world may have never experienced the greatness of Night Birds, Black Wine, and albums like Tentative Decisions. That said, it was even greater blessing that the disbandment of The Ergs! proved not to be permanent. There's something magical that happens when these three individuals get together to make music. The band's new EP Renovations is a perfect case in point. It's the product of three guys' unique musical talents and collective influences. Mikey and Jeff's vocal styles are about a million miles apart yet so perfectly complementary that one can only conclude that their partnership was willed by the musical gods. And if Mike's lovelorn vocals are the most immediately recognizable component of an Ergs! song, Jeff's guitar tone comes a very close second. Joe's bass work, always some of the best in the business, provides the unsung heroics. If you remove any of the three players from the equation, it's just not the same band. 

While by no means mischaracterized as a country record, Renovations sounds like The Ergs! more than anything else. The Lew Houston artwork had me feeling "classic Ergs!" vibes, and the music follows suit. Opening track "Tonight's the Night" manages to sound like a country song and a pop-punk song at the same time. I know that sounds completely impossible. But in the world of The Ergs!, nothing is impossible. Mikey Erg is hard to beat when it comes to writing songs about heartbreak and love gone sour, and he's in top form on this song. What could be more country (or more pop-punk) than waxing poetic on the pain of a devastating breakup? As the title of the EP suggests, "Renovations" is the centerpiece of this record. It's a vintage Jeff Schroeck composition and quite possibly the most personal and profound song he has ever written. Here the country stylings mix seamlessly with SST Records influences as Jeff laments the regretful consequences of actions never taken. The song is both an earworm and a lyrical masterpiece. Rounding out the EP, "Penny in the Jukebox" is the most conventionally country song of the bunch -- with an additional hint of Paul Westerberg at his most soul-crushing. On this simple, sincere song, Mikey tackles themes of loneliness and failure in a way that's sure to break your heart. 

There's no telling if and when we'll ever get more music from The Ergs!. For the moment, the band has left off with one of its finest releases yet. I don't think Mikey or Jeff could have written songs like these 20 or 15 years ago. Call it punk, country, country punk, or whatever you like. These are tunes we can all relate to as human beings. The big myth about pop-punk is that it can't grow up and still be good. Well the older, wiser Ergs! are sounding pretty, pretty, pretty good. I have the sneaking suspicion that I have yet to write my final words on this band. Renovations is available on vinyl from Wallride Records while supplies last! 

-L.R.

https://theergs.bandcamp.com/album/renovations
https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Ergs/100063796026629/
https://wallriderecords.bigcartel.com/product/the-ergs-renovations-ep
http://www.wallriderecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/wallriderecords/

The Sad Tomorrows - self titled

Now here's a true New Jersey punk rock super group! The Sad Tomorrows are Jeff Schroeck, Mike Hunchback, J Nixon, and Brian Gorsegner. That lineup encompasses membership in Night Birds, Psyched To Die, Black Wine, Hunchback, Nervous Triggers, The Ergs!, and too many other bands to mention. With this band, these Garden State scene veterans have honed in on a musical aesthetic that's near and dear to my heart: the intersection of punk-pop and late '80s/early '90s indie/alternative rock. The Sad Tomorrows are in many ways similar to Character Actor, Schroeck and Gorsegner's excellent indie-pop project from a few years back. The Sad Tomorrows refine the concept of Character Actor, introducing a new favorite band for those who can't get enough of Husker Du, the Lemonheads, Soul Asylum, ALL, early Goo Goo Dolls, etc. The band's debut EP has already sold out a full pressing of 100 cassette tapes but is still available in digital form from Don Giovanni Records. Recorded by Chris Pierce and mastered by Stephen Egerton, this EP sounds like it could have come out on cassingle on a major label 30 years ago. It recalls that brief but glorious moment of indie rock leaping into the mainstream before it all turned to shit. I especially like the crisp melodic punk of "Long Vibration" and the vintage '92 alt rock power pop of "Unsustainable Practices". Any time Jeff Schroeck is writing and singing songs, I am here for it. With this band, he and his pals are really hitting a sweet spot for me. Fingers crossed for more Sad Tomorrows!

-L.R.

https://thesadtomorrows.bandcamp.com/album/the-sad-tomorrows

https://www.facebook.com/thesadtomorrows

The Ergs! - "Okay, Enough Reminiscing." Hindsight Is 20/20, My Friend Volume Two (Vinyl Release)

Special circumstances are required for me to review an album twice. In the case of The Ergs' "Okay, Enough Reminiscing." Hindsight Is 20/20, My Friend Volume Two, the circumstances are indeed special. Historians will note that this is not a compilation of non-album Ergs! tracks but rather a sequel to a compilation of non-album Ergs! tracks. It was compiled a couple of years after the band's breakup with the intention that it would eventually be released as a proper album. By 2016, The Ergs! figured that the market for a defunct band's second odds and ends LP would be extremely limited in the digital age. Hardcore fans would have already owned all the music, and more casual fans simply wouldn't have cared. With that in mind, the band released "Okay, Enough Reminiscing." in the digital format. And that was that...or so we thought! I was satisfied that the last sentence I would ever write about The Ergs! was "I choose to imagine that Artie Lange owns this comp and listens to it often."

Fast forward to 2021: the legendary (at least in these parts!) Creep Records determined that there actually is a market for a (semi) defunct band's second odds and ends LP. At this very moment, I hold in my hands a vinyl copy of "Okay, Enough Reminiscing." Hindsight Is 20/20, My Friend Volume Two. I'm not usually a format geek, but I've got to say it's really freaking cool to have this album on vinyl! I'm staring at Jay Insult's beautiful cover art depicting a scene from Dirty Work -- one of the true cinematic masterpieces of modern times and the official favorite movie of The Ergs! It makes me sad that Norm Macdonald and Bob Saget have recently departed us just as this LP finally receives a proper release. In that respect, this album is a tribute to their immense talents. 

Remarkably, The Ergs! were able to fill a 22-track album largely with songs that were released after their breakup. "Okay, Enough Reminiscing." contains the entirety of 2008's That's It...Bye 12", four of the five cuts from 2010's Thrash Compactor 7", the band's tracks from splits with Teenage Bottlerocket and The Measure, a whole slew of hard-to-find compilation tracks, songs from the band's aborted project Experimental Test Pavement, and a couple of live tracks. Listening to this collection again a few years later, I'm still impressed that a band with a double LP compilation of non-album tracks already under its belt was able to assemble a sequel compilation and not have to fill it with crap (And, no, I definitely would not consider a 24-second hardcore song about Johnny Rzeznik deserving a beating to be anything close to filler)! Of course this is not anyone's ideal starting point for The Ergs! But it was never supposed to be. If you're a fan, you will want this album in your collection. Quite a few of these tracks ("Anthem for a New Amanda", "Encyclopedia Self Destructica", "Blah Blah Blah, Fuck You, Blah Blah Blah") are in my estimation essential Ergs! songs. And covers of the likes of Egghead., Sicko, Parasites, Devo, and The Minutemen acknowledge the wonderful variety of influences that made The Ergs! what they were/are (If you're an Ergs! fan who has never heard Egghead., I'm giving you two months to acquire a copy of Would Like A Few Words With You...there will be inspections!). Joe Keller's liner notes are a super cool touch. If you were curious about where these songs came from or how this album came to be, all the juicy details await in fine print!

It's kind of strange the way technology continues to change the face of underground music. Five years ago, I might have agreed that a vinyl version of "Okay, Enough Reminiscing." would likely meet with lukewarm sales. But what I've noticed in our community in recent years is that technology isn't replacing the experience of buying records --- it's facilitating it. People in our world still love records. They hear about cool releases via social media, podcasts, blogs, etc. and can go right to a label's Bandcamp or webstore and order the vinyl. On that note, you can hit up the Creep Records online shop today and order a copy of "Okay, Enough Reminiscing." on a mystery color of vinyl! I'm no expert on punk rock vinyl marketing, but I've got a feeling that Creep will have no trouble moving a full pressing of this stellar comp. I hope they saved a copy for Artie! 

-L.R.

https://shopcreep.com/products/the-ergs-hindsight-is-20-20-vol-2-12-colored-vinyl-random-color
https://theergs.bandcamp.com/album/hindsight-is-20-20-my-friend-vol-2-ok-enough-reminiscing
https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Ergs/100063796026629/

The Ergs! - Time and the Season

I've been tampering my expectations for 2022 after 2021 turned out to be nothing more than a bad sequel to 2020. That said, any year that affords me the opportunity to write about The Ergs! (at least) three times sure seems promising. Out today, the 7" Time and the Season finds The Ergs! back on Dirtnap Records, the label that released their second studio album and first compilation album. It's also the band's first new release since 2016's triumphant comeback EP Goddamn Death Dedication. So basically, this is a really big deal. Public displays of elation are well within reason and ought to be expected. 

After many years of study and deliberation, I have reached the conclusion that The Ergs! were the greatest pop-punk band of the 2000s. And it's not even close. The Ergs! were the Cadillac Eldorado, and whoever was #2 was a set of steak knives. At the peak of their game (in my estimation, The Ben Kweller EP through dorkrockcorkrod), The Ergs! were the best band on the planet. And so it delights me that Time and the Season reminds me so much of that "classic" period of The Ergs! The press release mentions it's "like they never went away", and that is 100% on-point. "Ultimate Falsetto Book" instantly takes me back to those good old days of the early to mid 2000s. Imagine, if you will, a world in which telephones were used for talking and people could agree that Nazis were bad. And if you were a girl-crazed lonely dude desperately looking for love, it was as if Mikey Erg was singing straight from your soul. I am pleased to discover that the formula holds up splendidly well to my 50-year-old ears. Another original, "Half Empty Strip Mall", employs quite the poignant modern-day metaphor in service of a vintage Ergs! number. The fact that this EP is 50% covers shouldn't dissuade anyone from making a purchase. The Ergs! have always excelled at covers, and here they tackle a couple of stone-cold classics from the 1960s. "Say You're Sorry" was originally recorded by The Remains, one of the most underrated American rock and roll bands of all-time. And of course you would hope that a band that once wrote a song called "Rod Argent" would eventually have a go at The Zombies' "Time of the Season". If you didn't know any better, you could mistake "Say You're Sorry" for an Ergs! original. "Time of the Season" is a little bit more of a straight cover, but the "they make the song their own" cliché certainly applies. And if this rendition leads just one person to discover that Odessey and Oracle is one of the greatest albums ever made, it'll be mission accomplished! 

It feels so good to be reviewing The Ergs! again! And this is just review number one of three! In the near future, I will have much to say about the band's new country EP Renovations and the long-awaited vinyl release of its second compilation album Hindsight is 20​/​20, My Friend Vol. 2: OK, Enough Reminiscing (on the legendary Creep Records!). I would have been happy with any new Ergs! music, but Time and the Season isn't just any Ergs! release. It's a freaking excellent Ergs! release! I'll delve further into where "Ultimate Falsetto Book" ranks in the Ergs! canon when I review Hindsight is 20​/​20, My Friend Vol. 3 in ten years.

-L.R.

https://dirtnaprecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-ergs-time-and-the-season
https://theergs.bandcamp.com/album/time-and-the-season
https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Ergs/100063796026629/
https://www.facebook.com/people/Dirtnap-Records-Official/100063625227282/

Nervous Triggers - "Radiation Suit"

With their latest single, New Jersey's Nervous Triggers have offered up a cleverly on-point take on Cold War nostalgia. Often one to view the modern world's most grim and troubling truths in a wickedly humorous light, Jay Insult has perfected this concept by penning the apocalyptic new wave anthem "Radiation Suit". For individuals of a certain age (myself included), 1980s childhood memories are closely tied to a moment when popular culture was undeniably cool and the fear of nuclear annihilation was very real. "Radiation Suit" ties those two aspects of the '80s together, facetiously heralding the revival of the atomic age on this exuberant Devo-inspired sing-along. The plot twist is that the despised super villains of yore are now getting elected to the highest offices. The band delivers this song with such supreme gusto that I just can't help bobbing my head and singing along to the deliciously satirical chorus "Now the future's so bright/I gotta wear a radiation suit". Nervous Triggers just might have a smash hit on their hands! If this song were any catchier, half the population would deny that it exists. The B-side, created by J Nixon's side project, Blankside, is an instrumental version of the track that ought to have all you retro gamers geeking out in a major way! 

"Radiation Suit" is only available on Bandcamp for a couple more days. This Friday, it releases on Spotify and all the major streaming services. You can pre-save the track on Spotify here or grab it for the next two days on Bandcamp. Who ever said doomsday couldn't be tremendous fun?

-L.R.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/nervoustriggers/radiation-suit
https://nervoustriggers.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/nervoustriggers

Nervous Triggers - "Good Run"

With most of our hardships and struggles, we can usually rationalize with the words, "But it's not the end of the world." But what if it actually is? That is the premise behind "Good Run", Nervous Triggers' new single and the band's first new music in nearly four-and-a-half years. On this release, the Jersey Shore surf-punks reflect on the ultimate worst-case scenario: the fiery demise of a failed human race. It's a dire message, but not one without some wickedly dark humor ("Running out the clock on the human race/But at least Bill Gates can escape into space") and spot-on social commentary ("And my long-term plan for managing debt/Is the inevitability of a merciful death"). Musically, "Good Run" is textbook beach punk: powerful, melodic, and more than a little dark. The last time I encountered new music from Nervous Triggers was when they released "Do The Drool" -- a song that terrified me largely because I knew that the dystopian nightmare it envisioned was already well on its way to becoming a reality. It was a great song, but it was kind of hard to listen to! It's odd that a song about the obliteration of humanity would be easier for me to stomach, but there's always that hope that "Good Run" is more of a warning and less of a prophecy. Or to paraphrase a line from this song, perhaps this is a reminder for us to get our living in as fast as we can. That's a good life philosophy even if you aren't pessimistic about the fate of humanity. I've always avoided the lazy Night Birds comparison with Nervous Triggers, but I must mention that Joe Keller guest stars on this release on "surf punk backing vocals" and delivers the goods as expected. "Good Run" is the first song from Nervous Triggers' pre-COVID recording sessions to see the light of day, and I've got a feeling more tracks are on their way. For now, have some fun with the end of the world!

-L.R.

https://nervoustriggers.bandcamp.com/album/good-run
https://www.facebook.com/nervoustriggers

Night Birds - Fresh Kills Vol. II

Man, does time fly! This blog has been around so long that I reviewed Night Birds' Fresh  Kills Vol. 1 when it was still new! I originally imagined myself doing this blog for a year or two, maybe 3 or 4 tops. Nine years later, I just can't bring myself to stop. Don't I have anything better to do with my time? Apparently not! So here I am reviewing the second volume of Fresh Kills, which released today on Bandcamp with all proceeds going to the IDF (Immune Deficiency Foundation). This is a very simple and great idea for a digital collection: it compiles all of Night Birds' singles released since 2013. Included are the entirety of the EPs Maimed for the Masses, Monster Surf, and Who Killed Mike Hunchback? along with several comp cuts and unreleased songs for a total of 20 tracks. Stephen Egerton mastered these recordings, which sound absolutely phenomenal. Now if you've been a Night Birds fan all along, you probably own most of this stuff already. But if you don't, this is like getting a whole new Night Birds album for a $5 download - and in the process you're benefiting common variable immune deficiency research!

There's not much to say about Night Birds that I haven't said 16 times before. This is one of our great modern-day punk rock bands, and just the other day I found myself contemplating how Night Birds have some of the best lyrics in punk music ever (How prophetic was "Left In The Middle", written well before the unthinkable events of 2016?). Let the fans debate whether Born To Die In Suburbia or Mutiny At Muscle Beach is the best point of entry for Night Birds exploration (I might be a troublemaker and make my case for Roll Credits). But if you own and love all the albums and are wondering if Fresh Kills Volume II is really worth buying, the answer is absolutely yes! The Maimed for the Masses tracks hold up great and are highly underrated in my book. "Last Gasp", which I once referred to as a "throttling ode to autoerotic asphyxiation", remains a Night Birds classic. Some of the demos released as Who Killed Mike Hunchback? are arguably superior to the album versions. The instrumental tracks off of Monster Surf show off the band's sick chops. And if you want to hear Night Birds cover the likes of Effigies, GG & the Jabbbers, and Big Boys, this is definitely the collection for you.

For more information about the great work being done by the Immune Deficiency Foundation, check out the IDF web site. The $5 (or more) that you pay for Fresh Kills Vol. II will go to a worthy cause. Go ahead: complete your Night Birds collection! All downloads come with a PDF of liner notes!



-L.R.

https://night-birds.bandcamp.com/album/fresh-kills-vol-ii
https://www.facebook.com/NGHTBRDS

Juniper - self titled

In the midst of all the bleakness of 2020, the debut album from Juniper brings the world some much-needed sunshine. Juniper is the 15-year-old daughter of singer/songwriter, WFMU radio personality, and pop true believer Michael Shelley. In collaboration with her dad (who produced the album and wrote most of the songs), Juniper has created the rarest of things: an album in the style of '60s and '70s pop that sounds genuinely current in the year 2020.

A list of Juniper's primary musical inspirations (Beatles, Beach Boys, Zombies, Muffs, Fountains of Wayne) tells you a whole lot about the kind of record she has set out to make. Yet at the same time, she cites Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez as big influences on her vocal style. It's that mix of the old and new that makes her such an appealing artist. Regardless of whether the term "pop" makes you think of the timeless hits of the '60s, home-recorded indie tunes, or contemporary radio hits, this is a debut album that ought to delight you to no end. As a singer, Juniper possesses a mixture of charm, sincerity, and immense likeability that ought to make her a star. And while Michael Shelley wrote most of the lyrics, Juniper was given full veto power in the event that any word did not ring true. These are timeless sounding songs from the perspective of melody and production. Yet they feel so "now" because Juniper is singing about what it's like to be a teenage girl in the modern world.

Song topics on Juniper's debut album cover everything from magical days at the shore with boys to secret crushes to real teenage heartbreak to neighborhood garage bands to best friends trying to move in on your boyfriend. In this age when it often feels like romance is dead, many of these songs come off as refreshingly old-fashioned...but not in a way that feels dated. The Brian Wilson inspired ballad "Girls Just Want A Boy To Rest Their Head On" is an absolute thing of beauty - and a reminder that young hearts still dream of love that goes way beyond surface attraction. "Sticking With My Henry" celebrates those nice, reliable guys who are so often overlooked. Michael Shelley and Juniper really excel at combining their talents to tell really great stories. "Kids On My Corner" condenses an entire short story into two minutes of pure joy (The line "The other kids in the cul-de-sac/Wouldn't like The Beatles if they came back" is priceless!). "Everybody's Got A Crush On Chad", about a boy who captivates everyone for no easily identifiable reason, just feels like real life. Haven't we all known our own version of Chad?

Supporting Juniper and her dad in the creation of this debut album was a star-studded cast of indie/power pop musicians. Marshall Crenshaw, Dennis Diken (Smithereens), Chris Geddes (Belle & Sebastian), Jay Gonzalez (Drive By Truckers), Steve Goulding (Mekons, Nick Lowe, etc.), Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo), Chris Collingwood (Fountains of Wayne), Mark Spencer (Son Volt), and Greg Townson (Los Straitjackets) all appear on this record. There are also songwriting contributions by Tommy Dunbar (Rubinoos) & Kyle Vincent, Kim Shattuck & Lisa Marr, and Francis Macdonald (Teenage Fanclub). If that sounds like a pop lover's dream, well that's how I would describe this album in the first place. Musically it references everything from '60s girl groups to '70s bubblegum to kitchen sink indie pop to modern-day punky pop. It's pure pop music for fans of all ages and musical interests. God, I love this record! It's not easy to feel upbeat at the present moment. But I don't think it's possible to listen to Juniper's debut album and not smile. If you're dying to go to a happy place right now, let this take you there.



-L.R.

https://juniperssongs.bandcamp.com/album/juniper
http://www.michaelshelley.net/juniper/
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcH6AJQhTwB-Dcxgr9etQ0dO6D5tmX-Rt
https://www.facebook.com/juniperalbum

OC Rippers and live music returns to NJ!

Review by Ralph Rivera

On June 27th, 2020, the first live music festival returned to New Jersey since February 29th and the legendary "Leap Day Festival" in Atlantic City! Since March 13th, ALL bars and clubs have been shut down - basically killing every tour, live date, and record release for months now. Well guess what, my friends? Leave it to New Jersey to break the seal and put on the first live bands, public gathering, benefit show, FULL ON BBQ since the world came to a grinding halt!

Before I get into reviewing how great every band was, this is completely dedicated to one man and one man alone: Mr. Jay Baluski. This dude has been a NJ fixture probably as long as me. He completely organized this show, got the bands on board, and found a non-political reason to get the ENTIRE NJ scene together in a matter of TWO DAYS! All hails to you, my brother!

So here we go. An absolutely beautiful NJ summer Saturday, and it's go time. We got six bands from all genres of the "underground" gathered in one of the most beautiful parks at the Jersey Shore. For over 20 years, Hebrew Park has been the site of the annual "Angry Drunk BBQ". A Jersey tradition if there ever was one. Too many bands to even list. But I digress. This was a donation show for our local animal rescue shelter Popcorn Park Zoo, which if you're ever around the Jersey Shore, you should check out. From what I heard, we raised THOUSANDS of dollars! NOW on to the bands. If you can imagine this, OC Rippers OPENED this show! In my humble opinion, the best band in NJ right now. They started out full throttle and just NEVER let up! With originals that will get you dancing to amazing covers that if you didn't know the lyrics, you'd never recognize. These guys just totally set the mood for the entire day. Ending with an incredible cover of the Nervous Eaters' "Just Head", I could only WISH I could be in a band this good. Next up was Coffin Void, a local grindcore band that the bass player from OC Rippers plays guitar in. I'm not the biggest fan of that style, but DAMN they were tight and got the entire crowd out in the pit. Next up was my friend Ian's band USELESS. I've known this dude since the '80s, and I knew this was gonna be HEAVY. After watching these guys plow through a half hour of tunes that I can only call "sludge rock", I was converted. Neurosis meets Sabbath meets REAL rock and roll! They did a cover of "Ain't No Sunshine" that I shit you not should be played on EVERY radio station! Next up was a band I just heard of, but they have no Bandcamp. So I went in blind. From Asbury Park, New Jersey, let me introduce you to one of your new favorite bands, Tiki Torture! I was talking to their guitar player/singer for a while. He was telling me they were surf metal. I was on board already because that's pretty much what I play. These guys hit the stage, and it was all over! EVERYONE moved up to check these guys out. Starting out with a couple standard type "punk" songs, they slowly went into DK/Agent Orange mode. To say I was blown away would be an understatement. By the time they launched into their epic song "MooseKnuckle", I was converted. Supposedly they have an LP coming out soon that will be available on Bandcamp, but we only got Soundcloud for now. At that point, it was time to socialize, take more pics, and get reacquainted with some people I hadn't seen in 20-30 years.

The ENTIRE NJ underground scene came out for this show. ALL OF US! Old friends, new friends, seeing children for the first time - IT WAS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! I've never seen so many people so happy just to see each other again! And believe it or not - we're already planning another show just like this! You can't stop punk rock! This was the first live music show in MONTHS, and EVERYONE came out for a good cause and just to feel alive again. I thank EVERYONE that made this happen, and I'm so blown away that there were at least FOUR generations at this show and everyone got along with no bad vibes whatsoever! It's time to live again, my friends! Thank you, Josh Rutledge, for giving me this chance to show people that things ARE going to get better! Stay underground and stay strong!

Tiki Torture · Affliction

-Ralph Rivera

https://ocrippers.bandcamp.com/
https://uselessnj.bandcamp.com/
https://coffinvoid.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TikiTortureNJ/

Dramarama - Color TV

It feels strange but truly wonderful to be reviewing a new album from one of my all-time favorite bands for the first time in my life. By the time I got into this racket 25 years ago, Dramarama had already broken up after an incredible run in the '80s and early '90s that was never fully appreciated outside of the diehard fan base. I would be hard-pressed to name a single songwriter of the last 35 years that I would put above John Easdale. And while the band's legacy is often closely associated with the "alternative rock" movement, to me Dramarama is just a great American rock and roll band. Notice my use of the present tense. While fans have had to wait a long 15 years for a new Dramarama album, Color TV easily rates as one of the band's finest releases.

Minus any pressure from outside influences to push out a "product", Dramarama has had the luxury of working on Color TV at its own pace over a great number of years. Some of these songs go back a couple decades, and overall this album feels particularly autobiographical. It traces Easdale's journey from childhood to present-day, chronicling his battles with addiction and bad decisions and culminating with his finding inner peace. It's almost certainly an album he would not have been able to write in his 20s or 30s. He and has band-mates (two of which, guitarists Peter Wood and Mark Englert, are original members) did not make the mistake of trying to recreate the "classic" Dramarama sound. Color TV is the work of true masters of the rock and roll craft - who are aging like the proverbial fine wine.

Especially on the back half of Color TV, Easdale favors ballads and quiet, intensely personal numbers. But Dramarama can still rock with the best of 'em, as evidenced on the soaring opener "Beneath The Zenith", the furiously brooding "Up To Here", the bluesy "Swamp Song", and the hard-driving "What's Your Sign". There's something for everyone on this album, which is pretty typical for Dramarama. And it wouldn't be a Dramarama record without a couple of truly remarkable ballads. "The Cassette" is gorgeous and powerful in its simplicity. It's a tribute to Greg Dwinnell, Easdale's best friend whose death inspired much of 2005's Everybody Dies. Complemented by Billy Siegel's beautiful piano riff, Easdale's words and voice give me chills. "You You You", the album's penultimate track, is haunting & atmospheric in a way no Dramarama song has quite ever been. Another hallmark of a great Dramarama record are inspired cover songs (Mott The Hoople's "I Wish I Was Your Mother" never moved me to tears until I heard Easdale sing it). For this release, the band chose relatively unknown songs by Bob Dylan ("Abandoned Love") and Elliott Smith ("Half Right", the album closer). I'm always intrigued by which artists a great songwriter admires, and here Easdale honors a pair of kindred spirits with stunning interpretations of their work. "Abandoned Love" is literally and figuratively a centerpiece of this album, and it blends seamlessly into the story Easdale is telling.

Color TV certainly has its moments of on-point social commentary. In the first two tracks alone, Easdale laments the power that technology, commercialism, and organized religion hold over us. But on the whole, this album cuts deep into the soul of John Easdale. It's the kind of record that great songwriters spend their lives striving to complete. But this was a true group effort - not just a one man show. Dramarama as a rock band has never sounded stronger. Long suffering fans who eagerly awaited this release will not be disappointed. And if you've never heard Dramarama before, it's not necessary to absorb the back catalog before you can appreciate Color TV. This album is an absolute tour de force, and let us hope that we won't have to wait another 15 years for the next one!



-L.R.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8zl_IqDuYE&feature=emb_logo
https://www.facebook.com/TheDramarama/
http://dramarama.us/dramaramanew/2018/

OC Rippers II

It was just this past December when I reviewed the first demo tape from Ocean County, New Jersey's OC Rippers. Well the Rippers are already back with a second demo, and as expected their sound is tighter and harder this time around. Rob, Kris, Lyle, and John continue to tear out raw and fierce old school punk rock on these five killer tracks. "Late Night TV Lover" is especially blistering, but I also dig the way "I Need Noise" detours into some heavy duty jamming before roaring back into straight-up aggressive punk territory. You get four originals here plus a raging cover of Nervous Eaters' "Just Head" that seems like a no-brainer choice for this band. And in a day and age when punk bands often put out "demos" that sound like slick studio recordings, it's nice to hear these tracks exuding a genuine "made in the garage" rawness. If you dig the tougher side of early punk and proto punk, now's a time to get hip to one of the top rising bands out there. East Coast represent!

  
-L.R.

https://ocrippers.bandcamp.com/album/ii-2020 

The OC Rippers - Demo

Greg Mongroll has been tipping me off to great new bands since the days when he was one of the three people who followed this blog. He never lets me down, which ultimately means he never lets you down! His latest find is The OC Rippers, a new project hailing from Ocean County, New Jersey (hence the "OC" in the band name!). The OC Rippers have emerged with a demo tape that you can download for free or purchase on cassette by emailing the band. What I like about this demo is that it reminds me of my early days in the punk world - when it was always so cool to discover a demo tape from a new band. A little bit of that magic has been lost in our modern-day digital world, when bands post "demos" online that often just sound like studio recordings. But The OC Rippers' demo actually sounds like a demo I would have played the hell out of in 1995. It's lo-fi but not really "garage". This is just good stripped-down old school punk. Sometimes the band comes out ripping it fast and hard ("Never Coming Down"). Other tracks like "Look Your Best" are slower in tempo and crudely performed in a charming pre-punk/early punk way. I love that there's nothing I can compare this band to directly. If they have influences, they're not made obvious. The keyboards on some of the tracks are a neat touch as well. I still don't feature new bands as often as I'd like to, so I must thank Greg for helping me out a little. Be the first on your block to get hip to The OC Rippers!



-L.R.

https://ocrippers.bandcamp.com/releases